6 underrated New Year's Eve destinations
Out with the old (and overpriced), in with the new
Want a spectacular New Year’s Eve, without the crazy crowds and high ticket prices? Skip the big-city bashes and mad spectacles that draw in millions. Instead, redefine your New Year’s celebration and usher in 2025 at an off-the-beaten-path destination, like these six gems.
Let the countdown begin to new adventures.
With its famous red rock canyons, steep sandstone cliffs, lush mountain peaks, and deep gorges, Zion National Park’s dramatic landscape is a more awe-inspiring spectacle than any crowded midnight bash around.
By counting down to 2025 while gazing up at a star-studded sky. The next morning, do a ‘first day hike’ exploring any of the park’s 200+ trails.
There’s more to Nashville than honky tonks. From high-end dining to hot chicken, basement music clubs to rooftop cocktail lounges, city bustle to peaceful rolling hills, Nashville abounds with must-do sights, sounds, and tastes.
Join local revelers at the free Nashville Big Bash at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park featuring live music (Jelly Roll is performing this year!), fireworks, and the Music Note Drop® at midnight. Another free celebration includes NYE at Nashville Live!, with live entertainment, dancing, and bubbly.
Tex-Mex cuisine, The Alamo, and the 15-mile River Walk. Welcome to San Antonio, y’all! Boasting a ton of historical and cultural attractions, theme parks, and an innovative dining scene where the tequila is pure and the tamales are hot—San Antonio is a fiesta of fun for all your senses.
Kick off the new year surrounded by the 100,000 dazzling lights of the iconic River Walk during the free Celebrate SA, complete with carnival games, attractions, and spectacular fireworks. Want even more thrills? Six Flags Fiesta Texas and SeaWorld San Antonio are both throwing big fireworks spectacles.
The snow-capped peak of Mt. Hood rises dramatically less than 2 hours from Portland, surrounded by lush forests and alpine lakes, offering endless adventures from skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing, to relaxing fireside at your wintry mountain cabin.
Kick off 2025 with a fun-packed night of cosmic tubing—complete with LED lights, a live DJ, and laser show—then fireworks over the mountain peaks.
Immerse yourself in Sedona's dramatic red cliffs and serene desert vistas, where stunning sunsets ignite the sky and mystical energy vortexes invite introspection.
Lean into the mellow, mystical magic and hike to one of Sedona’s 7 vortexes. Or party with the whole family during celebrations at Blazing M Ranch in nearby Cottonwood or Verde Canyon Railroad in Clarkdale.
A magnet for sun-seekers, Playa del Carmen is a vibrant beach town in Riviera Maya with strollable streets and an undeniably fantastic location for Mayan ruins, coral reefs, cenotes (natural swimming holes) and island cruises to Cozumel.
Join the locals and catch the fireworks show over the beach. Or, head straight into the action on Fifth Avenue, as it comes alive with street parties, dancing, and a festive energy that also seeps into every restaurant and bar.
